light source

/ˈlaɪt.sɔːs/

//ˈlaɪt.sɔːs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"light-source" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“light source” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A source of illumination.

Key facts for light source
PropertyValue
Headwordlight source
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlaɪt.sɔːs/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “light source” sits in English frequency

light source falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

light source is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlaɪt.sɔːs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A source of illumination.".

light source doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is light source, spelled L-I-G-H-T- -S-O-U-R-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A source of illumination.

Synonyms

light source

This word in other languages

source lumineuse(Français)Lichtquelle(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "light source"?
"light source" is spelled L-I-G-H-T- -S-O-U-R-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlaɪt.sɔːs/.
What does "light source" mean?
As a noun, "light source" means: A source of illumination.
How do you pronounce "light source"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "light source" is /ˈlaɪt.sɔːs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "light source" come from?
"light source" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “light source”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-G-H-T- -S-O-U-R-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlaɪt.sɔːs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list